Acceptance By Social Studies Teacher Educators of the Basic Tenets of Multicultural Education (Teacher Education, Student Teachers, Instructional Goals; Texas, California).

This study investigated acceptance by the population of social studies teacher educators (SSTE's) in Texas and California of five basic tenets of multicultural education. A usable response rate of 57% was obtained. Through the use of a rectangular six-step Q-sort, respondents rated 50 knowledge goal statements reflecting the five basic tenets and 10 statements antithetical to multicultural education. These statements were developed from a review of the literature and validated by eleven well-known experts in multicultural education. The goal statements were appropriate for pre-service undergraduates preparing to teach social studies. Respondents' ratings of each of the knowledge goal statements were analyzed and mean scores per statement were calculated. Mean scores of the statements belonging to each of the tenets were correlated; calculated tenet composite mean scores were also correlated. T-tests and principal component analyses were then done using the tenet composite mean scores. A total composite mean score was used as the dependent variable and a set of background variables collected on the respondents were used as independent variables in the correlations and linear regression analyses carried out. SSTE's were found to be generally accepting of the basic tenets of multicultural education. Ranked by tenet composite mean scores, the order of preference for the tenets was (1) Attaining Positive Self-Identity, (2) Interacting Effectively, (3) Underst and ing Cultural Differences, (4) Fostering Cultural Pluralism, and (5) Promoting Equity. Statements Antithetical to Multicultural Education were all rejected by the respondents. The analyses showed that respondents (a) from California, (b) who spoke a language other than English, (c) who worked in schools of education with enrollments under 1000 students, and (d) who taught both elementary and secondary social studies methods in one course showed a greater degree of acceptance as shown by analysis of variance and t-tests of the means. Recommendations are made to further research other variables which did not prove statistically significant but may prove nevertheless to be educationally important. Use of the knowledge goal statements in this study for further research on multicultural social studies teacher education is recommended. It is also recommended that effective implementation and actual attainment of the knowledge goal statements with student teachers be examined.PhDSocial sciences educationUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/160127/1/8422230.pd